On last week’s Flock Friday I announced the hatching of Betty’s ducklings, and followed up with three days of posts featuring the ducklings. I may do that again once Sonja’s ducklings hatch, expected around mid-June. But for now, it’s back to a more normal Flock Friday post, with some duckling pics included.

Starting with a few token chicken pics on a wet day:

Bert about to hop into the pond:

Ducks in the pond:

Ducks on the path to the duck house (time to remove those gates; don’t need them with mothered ducklings):

Betty and a duckling on an upturned pot island:

Ducks enjoying mealworm treats; it didn’t take the ducklings long to learn how tasty they are, and come zooming over when they see me on the pond deck:

Ducks on pot islands:

Betty and ducklings:

Still waiting for Betty’s ducklings (could be any day now); still waiting for Sonja to start full-time nesting (could be any day now); plus some other pictures of ducks and chickens (with a particularly funny one at the end).

Here’s Betty, still nesting on her eggs, and not happy to be disturbed:

Did you see the video of her?

I added more straw to the duck house, and refilled their food and water:

Taking a peek at Sonja’s eggs while she was away; I see 10 eggs here (at least one under the straw):

She has been increasing the time spent sitting on them, but isn’t full-time yet, so I don’t think we can start the clock on them hatching quite yet. She has also gathered up most of that new straw to insulate her nest.

Ducks on the floating island:

Ducks in the pond:

Ducks on the pond bank:

Chickens with treats:

Um, three chickens don’t really fit in a nesting box:

For Flock Friday this week, an assortment of chicken and duck pictures, plus more of nesting ducks and broody chickens.

Let’s start with some pictures of the chickens:

And ducks:

Here’s Betty nesting on her clutch of eggs in the duck house:

Sonja has also started laying some eggs in a different nesting box:

Two of Sonja’s eggs:

Yesterday I needed to refill the duck food dispenser (the jug at the top of the feeder tube), so had an opportunity to peek at Betty:

I try not to disturb her too much, as she huffs like she’s stressed when I open the door, unsurprisingly. But she relaxes after a few seconds once she realizes I’m not a threat to her nest:

Closer:

Some of the chickens want in on the fun; there are currently three broody chickens… though they’re wasting their time, since we haven’t had a rooster in years, so the eggs are unfertilized:

For Flock Friday this week, some pictures of Betty and her nest in the duck house, a few pictures of other ducks, and some of the chickens.

Here’s Betty in her nest behind the feeder tube, as seen from the maintenance door:

Via the duck house cam, Betty in her nest, grabbing a bite, plus a couple of boys also eating:

Betty eating some spilled food to avoid moving from her nest:

While Betty was taking a brief break, I got a picture of the eggs with downy fluffs. These soft under-feathers are one of the things that make ducks so cold-tolerant. Nesting ducks pluck them to both insulate the nest, and to expose skin as a “brood patch” to provide more direct warmth to the eggs:

Ducks in the pond:

Ducks by the lawn:

Betty on a break, looking kinda scraggly:

Betty in her nest:

And at night:

On to some chicken pictures. Here they are roosting in the old coop, shortly before the pop door automatically closed:

Closed door:

Roosting in the new coop:

Another angle:

Kiwi eyeing me:

Chickens in their run:

In the veggie garden (they’ll be kicked out soon, when we’re ready to start planting):